Virtual chromosome modeling for learning human cytogenetics

The G-banding technique is routinely used for generating characteristic banding patterns for chromosome identification and karyotyping. Since G-band patterns are not static, training cytogenetics technologists to master the skills of chromosome analysis is a long process. Furthermore, the opportunities for biology students to access a wide range of different chromosome aberrations for practice are limited. To increase the resource for analyzing normal and abnormal human chromosomes, we hereby introduce an image processing and recognition method to create virtual chromosomes for education purposes at universities and clinical laboratories. While maintaining the entire characteristic features of digitized G-banded chromosomes from prepared microscope slides, the newly developed virtual chromosome modeling system is dynamic with the capability of changing shapes and creating certain chromosome abnormalities such as deletions in association with diseases including cancers. The virtual chromosomes will also provide a foundation for developing chromosome based genetics learning program linking both transmission and molecular genetics.